Made by a Fabricista: Ponte Basics

Happy New Year, Fabricistas!

For this new year post, I decided to focus on some solid basics for me and my husband in easy to wear, easy to sew ponte knits. For him, a shawl-collar Thread Theory Finlayson Sweater:

For me, a shawl-collar Hot Patterns Metropolitan Chimera cardigan/jacket:

When I was choosing fabric, Fabric Mart had some fabulous ponte in stock. For my husband, I opted for a fossil grey rayon/nylon/lyrca ponte, and a solid midnight black viscose/nylon/lycra ponte for myself. Both colors are out of stock, but they have some other fun shades in this fabulous substrate!

I found Tim was between sizes on the Thread Theory size chart, so for his Finlayson sweater, I cut the smaller size (a Large), but used a small seam allowance than called for. It worked out well! I love this pattern. Such nice details, like a decorative back neck facing.

Tim looks great in the Finlayson! He's worn it a bunch since I made it. It's perfect for layering over a t-shirt or buttondown shirt and, in this ponte, is classy enough to wear to his business casual office. I think the Finlayson could even go dressier if you left off the cuffs and hem band and just hemmed instead (you'd have to lengthen it a bit, of course).

Now onto my Metropolitan Chimera jacket! I was going for a classic black, slouchy, boyfriend-style blazer with this project. This shawl-collar pattern has panel seams, two-piece sleeves and Dior darts, which intrigued me!

I quite like the blazer. The fit is pretty great (the only adjustment I made was a full bicep adjustment, which is pretty common for me) and the fabric is super soft and comfortable to wear. I think the Dior darts (which are little bit difficult to see in the photos in this black fabric) really add a little something special to the simple design.

I'm having a little bit of trouble with the bodice of the blazer pulling away from the shawl collar, but I had a similar issue with another shawl collar blazer I made, so perhaps it's just an issue with the style.

I'm loving this great basic jacket, though. I think it will work well with many other pieces in my handmade wardrobe. Here I've paired it with a double gauze Beatrix blouse and my Ames jeans.

Thanks for reading and thanks to Fabric Mart for the lovely fabric! See you back here in a few months. Check out my blog, Cookin' and Craftin', in the meantime!

Made By A Fabricista: Speaking My Truth

Happy Saturday All! In these unsettling times, I hug my children a little tighter, spend quality time embracing them, and cherish every moment even more. This pandemic has allowed me to appreciate deep conversations about racial injustice, police brutality, and their feelings about growing up black . My daughter Arielle, a happy go lucky child, shuns away as she is always being questioned about her race and which box she checks off on an application. She hates the fact that she is consistently asked by her peers and teachers at school if she is biracial, Hispanic, or Black . She has often times questioned her own identity, yet she gladly responds to anyone who asks, “ I am black and I am a part of the human race ”. My son despises the news media (especially social media) and doesn't watch it at all. The death of his older brother and guns triggers a fear that we pray he overcomes. Over the past few weeks, I have read some of the most unreal remarks and comments about "

Made by a Fabricista: A Work Wardrobe with a $50 Fabric Budget

Can you save money by sewing your own clothes? Well, that all depends on a lot of factors! I decided to challenge myself to make a new Spring work wardrobe with a $50 budget for fabric. I know, I know- that doesn't include your patterns, notions and miscellaneous things like interfacing and lining. For me, those are already sunk costs, because I already have them. By ordering during one of Fabric Mart's $2/$3/$4 sales, I was able to make 8 items- 2 pants, 1 skirt, 1 dress, and 3 tops. Here's my exact order: This took me about 6 weeks once I started. I usually sew after dinner for about an hour or two every day. It's my relaxation time. I dove right in the deep end with the jacket first. I absolutely love this fabric! It is so bright and cheery. I made the jacket with Vogue 2957, an out of print Anne Klein designer pattern. The fabric is a Milly Cady suiting which I found challenging to work with. It feels delightful, but it is tough as nails.

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